By News Agency of Kashmir
Srinagar : About thirty one Kashmiri Pandit families living in security Zones in various parts of valley today shifted to Sheikhpora Migrant Flats in Budgam district of central Kashmir.
Thousands of Kashmiri Pandits fled from the Valley when insurgency erupted in 1989, and settled at different places in Jammu regions and other parts of the India, while some of them stayed back and prefer to live with their Muslim brothers.
About 87 kanals of land was demarcated and hundreds of flats ‘safe Zone’ were constructed on it for the Kashmiri Pandits living in rented accommodations in security zones in valley and those temporary settled in other parts of state and country will also be allotted these flats if they wish to return back.
However after some massacres the families were forced to shift to security zones for their safety.
Government had created temporary clusters for the rehabilitation of other Kashmiri families who shift to Jammu, Udhampur and Kathua. Number of them got settled in other states where they are being given cash assistance for the livelihood.
The coalition government as per their CMP was committed to rehabilitate them by providing safe housing in valley and some ‘safe zones’ were created keeping in view the security threats and other aspects including their social life.
“The move to shift these families was said to be the coming elections” a villager told NAK.
It is pertinent to mention here that government of Jammu and Kashmir with the assistance of central government established security Zones and constructed flats for the Kashmiri pandits to get them back to valley on experimental basis.
Some of the Pandit organizations have been demanding the safe return of the community while others are demanding Home land. “Kohi Be Land Ho par meri gahoo ki Land se bad kar kohi nehi ho sakti hai” a migrant advocate from South kashmir now in Jammu told News Agency of Kashmir adding that those who are already settled in some parts of the country have nothing to do with those who want to live with their Muslim brothern.
“we have handed over the possession of 31 residential flats at Sheikhpora Migrant Colony to 31 Kashmiri Pandit families who were residing at Budgam in private hired buildings as per instructions of government”, District Development Commissioner, Budgam Khwaja Farooq Ahmad Renzu told News Agency of Kashmir. He handed over the keys of the respective flats to the concerned families.
Among others, present on the occasion, were SSP Budgam, Additional Deputy Commissioner, officers from Rehabilitation Commissioner, Housing and senior functionaries from the district administration.